The Henderson Conundrum....

[Amiga500]

There are a couple of aspects to this IMO.

1. Has he developed quite as well as we all hoped he would (bearing in mind the impact he was making in games around the time we stuffed Northampton in Franklins Gardens back in Anscombe's first year)? Or has he just had too much expectation heaped on him this year?

2. Where do we play him now, is he a 6? Or a 4? (I don't think we'd want him putting on the weight needed for tight head lock) How does the team line up around him?


For me:

1. He isn't where I hoped he'd be. If you use Mario Itoje as a benchmark, IH is not operating at the same level. Maybe Jonno Gibbes' arrival can change that.

2. Last game out, the back row of Reidy, Henry and Coetzee looked pretty good. OK, Glasgow weren't near first choice - but the man most would likely look to drop (Reidy) was man of the match in many eyes and has been playing well to very-well most of the season. Would IH be of more benefit to us replacing FVDM in the row? Maybe. Maybe not.

[ruckover]

#2 was answered when we announced the signing of Arno.

[BaggyTrousers]

What Ruckie said.

Mind you I expect that Les may use him as he sees fit should circumstances dictate in the same way that all Girrid's play has been at 15 for Ulster since late last season.

We face an intriguing possibility with Girrid possible back for Dragons or Caaaaaaadiff, Charles clearly having shown his best position on the wing, leaving us with GLU, Tommy, Gillers & Stockcube all happy campers on the wing, Luke looking good again on very little rugby on Saturday, The bludgeon frae Bengor, DC, OLding soon. FFFS a catalogue of talent which will require the wisdom of Solomon to get the combos right.

Just a sniff of a hope the Ulster season could be the greatest comeback since the boy Lazarus. We need 7 out of 8 games to be sure to be sure, 6 would probably do. Then to make history away from home. Tell yis what, if I wasn't off to Spain that day I'd be going to Limerick, they are having a great season but we're due a result against them.

[Nightsoil]

Twenty-five today. Happy birthday to the big man.

And aye, guess he isn't where I thought he'd be aged twenty-five.

I think Henderson's main problem is staying fit long enough to get a run of important games in which to set down a marker and get a real head of steam up. His ability to make an impact at the highest level isn't in doubt, just maybe the consistency. Hard to be consistent with injuries.

[Neil F]

I think using the example of Itoje is slightly unfair for two reasons. One, as much as it galls me to say it, Itoje already looks like someone people will talk about in thirty years. There aren't many one can say that about. Second, Itoje has nearly always been playing in good teams that have been winning. Henderson has been playing for Ulster...

The impact that has, both on how a player is likely to develop - mentally as much as anything else - and on how easy it is to pick out his performances shouldn't go unnoticed. As it is, Henderson has been personally responsible for some brutally good performances for Ulster and Ireland. I fear people are expecting him to be making 20 metres with every carry and judge impact that way. That isn't Henderson's game. It was foolish of so many to immediately laud him the new Stephen Ferris and it seems to be something that he carries around with him. He doesn't play like Ferris. He doesn't carry like Ferris. It doesn't mean that he doesn't have a big impact. He has been helped neither by no one seeming to know what his best position is (which will change next season) and by a series of injuries that have seriously interrupted his game time. Again, one can't say that for Itoje. Itoje has had the chance to build consistency into his game. Henderson hasn't.

In short, Henderson is about where he should be, given all of those factors. Without the injuries, one could expect him to be further ahead but let's not underplay the role they've had. He's missed a lot of rugby and has seldom put together a significant number of games in a row. Even then, it's strange that people seem disappointed with where he is. Anyone who expected more was guilty of massive overhype. Henderson makes a big difference for Ulster when he plays and an even bigger difference when he gets a good run of games. Let's think of it this way - Henderson has about ten fewer Ireland caps than Stephen Ferris. If international caps are a good barometer of where a player is, that should reflect where Henderson is, not least because Henderson has played half as many times for Ulster as Ferris did and is competing for a place in a much more competitive Irish pack than Ferris had to.

As for his position. It's clearly been decided, already. I, for one, I'm glad to see the decision that has been made. Longterm, Henderson strikes me as a player who can make 80 minutes of impact in the second row or about 50 minutes of impact in the backrow. I think he's better positioned, longterm, as being a particularly athletic second row, rather than a relatively normally athletic but incredibly big back row. He carries best in the tight; makes yards of slow ball; and his biggest impacts are at the ruck. To me, all that labels him as an athletic and skilful second row. Glad to see that Ulster have been persuaded to think so, too!

[Dave]

Hendo will benefit from not being the only ball carrier in the pack.

[Cornerfleg]

Henderson will benefit from playing in a pack!!!!

[ColinM]

Poor Hendo was labelled the great white hope post Ferris, the only thing close to a ball carrier with a Alster accent aged twixt 18-50.

Sadly as has been mentioned, he's been playing in a rabble between long term injuries.

[BaggyTrousers]

Henderson will benefit from playing in a pack!!!!

Hendo will benefit from not being the only ball carrier in the pack.

Those two carry equal weight for me. I genuinely look forward to next year to see what the Ulster pack looks like. We know already that Marcell looks awesome, we know that Arno Botha is similar in style and was being touted as a future SA captain & is as far as I know the Blue Bulls captain. We hear unconfirmed rumour that we have a prop coming who can carry and scrummage, how odd will that be? We hopefully will see young Kane flourish as a lad who seems to get about better than what we've had & that my dear friends will leave Hendy to grow into second row duties now being the only one being looked to to make a few yards.

Sounds good, but the proof of the pudding, as always, will be in the eating.

[Tender]

Rhubarb Crumble (Skinners) and Custard tonite and good eatin it was.
Hendo is a talent indeed and if he stays free of injuries next season, he'll have better players around him and better coaches gulldering at him, which can only help him reach his full potential. He was great at the last World Cup, but that was playing with less Dave's than he endures with Alster.

[Cornerfleg]

[quote="Tighter End"]Rhubarb Crumble (Skinners) and Custard tonite and good eatin it wasr...../quote]

Ha..... I'll see your Willie McRea slur and raise you a Mary Berry.....

[Tender]

You leave that arthritic dough fingerer out of it. She's practically Royalty and since her affair with Phil The Greek, she's untouchable... well you'd need to be hungry to wanna.

[Russ]

feck up

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Deraless]

I must say I also like the look of young Tredders. He has bulked up a lot since his arrival and is still athletic and good in the line-out. He knows how to hit a ruck and he looks like he could start a square go in an empty cell. He has all the desired attributes.

Him and Hendy could be a formidable partnership in the row.

[rumncoke]

To many spectators look at a young player and read far to much into his potential . The fact is there really is not a potential to grow . What players gain is experience when to use their skills and assets and how to maximise there impact .

Henderson has been played as a 6 when I expect most of his experience at school was second row and thus instead of using the experience he had he has had to acquire the experience of playing 6 and to honest Henderson is not a breakdown ball winner or slower nor does he clear rucks in the manner of Ferris.

Thus in my opinion Henderson is being played out of position due to the availability of second rows and the lack of backrow ball carriers.

And I'm not that sure that Itoje is a 6 for exactly the same reasons but he again is being played that position because of existance of second row alternatives and the English style of rugby ( BIG PACK - Backs kick and chase and only start to pass the ball inside the opposition 22 )weight is the name of the game in the pack not speed .